In Kidnapping Trial, Rabbi Argues Torture To Extract Divorce Document From Husband Complies With Jewish Law

Yesterday in federal district court in Trenton, New Jersey the trial of respected Orthodox Rabbi Mendel Epstein, along with his son and two other rabbis, on conspiracy and kidnapping charges began.  As reported by NJ Advance Media, the defendants are charged with arranging the kidnapping and beating of recalcitrant Orthodox Jewish husbands to force them to give their wives a get-- a Jewish divorce document. Wives or their families paid tens of thousands of dollars for the document. Defense attorneys argued that the rabbis were merely following Jewish law. In his opening statement, Epstein's attorney argued that the Jewish community views a husband who refuses to grant his wife a get as being consumed by evil. He continued, that under Jewish law "force and torture can be used until evil leaves the husband's body and he does what he's supposed to do." (See prior related posting.)